Family Service – “Jailhouse Rock”

Sunday 17^th November

35 children (aged 4 – 11)

Welcome& register in groups:

Kids draw something that represents power, eg volcanoes, river etc etc

All together: pray

In the background is the video below, showing powerful things

 

What do you think the most powerful thing on Earth is? Give some examples:

• Powerful Peppers- Naga Jolokia [pronounced; Na-za Holo-ka] peppers are the most powerful food. It can be 10 times stronger than a jalapeno and can burn your skin. Imagine what it would do inside your mouth!
• Powerful Machines - The Wartsila-Sulzer boat engine is used to power huge container ships and makes the fastest car look slow. It is stronger than 213 of the most powerful Ferrari cars.
• Powerful Animals- A rhinoceros beetle can lift up to 850 times its own bodyweight. That’s exactly why they are often called Hercules beetles! They are native to rainforests and eat rotting wood and decaying fruit.

1. Powerful Earth - The most powerful recorded earthquake is thought to be the 1960 Valdivia earthquake which caused damage to Chile, Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines. It lifted the ocean floor with a magnitude rating of 9.3 on the Richter scale.

Today we’re learning that praise is powerful. Connecting with the creator of the Earth holds more power than we can imagine.

 

quick song..... Rainbow in the Sky

 

Dvd:Hillsongs Memory verse

Dvd;Watch Hillsongs Big HQ

Praise releases God’s power – tell the story of Paul & Silas

Split Banana OBJECT LESSON: With God all things are possible!

Supplies Needed: A banana, a long thin metal pin. (like a sewing needle or dress making pin)

Before the lesson stick the pin into the banana where you want it to be cut. Slide the pin horizontally to slice the banana without making any marks to the peel. Do this to cut the banana in three places.

Show the banana to the children and tell them that you are going to do the impossible. You are going to slice the banana into pieces without touching or breaking the skin.

Ask the children if they think it’s possible or impossible. Next, have some fun and do some ninja karate moves to “slice” the banana without touching it.

Slowly peel the banana to show that it is cut on the inside. After much applause and amazement from the children explain to them that it was just a trick. It was not impossible but with God things that seem impossible are possible. Matthew 19:26

“With God all things are possible.” (NIV)

Explain to them how the trick is done. Maybe they can show their friends and family and teach others that with God all things are possible.

1. Powerful Praise Our voices are used for so many different things. The most powerful thing you can do with your voice is to praise God.

 The power of praise is that we take the focus off of ourselves and we focus on God. God is all powerful and He can do anything. We can praise God and see His power work in our lives.

2. All things are possible. To your average, everyday person a lot of things seem impossible. What you dream of being when you grow up might, at this moment, seem pretty impossible. Seeing someone who is sick or hurt healed might seem impossible. We know that with God all things are possible! We don’t need to give up! Think about Jesus. After 3 days in a tomb he came alive again. That seemed impossible but it wasn’t for God! We can see miracle after miracle in the Bible, in our lives and in the lives of others.

 

another song.... great big God o

 

Back to Groups:

first pray for one another!

Kids split in to groups, and complete a worksheet

Then write prayer of praise on bunting to decorate the room

 

 

 

Dec 1^st Advent, Be Prepared

Game : Captains Daughter                          

List of instructions :

1. Port (run to left-hand wall)

2. Starboard (run to right-hand wall)

3. Fore (run to front)

4. Aft (run to back)

5. Climb the rigging (on the spot rope climbing actions)

6. Swab the decks (Mopping actions)

7. Cannon-ball coming (Lie flat on the floor)

8. Admiral's aboard (Stop dead, stand straight and salute at attention)

9. Captains Daughter (everybody stops and wolf whistles )

Explain that the children are all sailors on a ship, and the captain is expecting a visit from the admiral – so lots of preparations have to be made. Read out the instructions before the game begins and make sure that everyone understands what to do when each one is called.

One player is chosen as the captain and is given the list of instructions from which s/he can call at random. Once the captain calls "Admiral's aboard" the last person to obey the command is eliminated.

Play until one person is left and that person then becomes the captain & reads the list, in random order...

Question: What is Advent  

We showed the video below, then had a quick fire quiz

 

 

 

 

Questions:

1. Advent is a period lasting for how long… four Sundays
2. Advent the season of .. preparation
3. Advent the season of …. looking forward
4. Advent the season of… change
5. In the video that we saw, how many Candles did we see .. 20
6. Most common word displayed .. wait
7. Preparing for the celebration of… Jesus birth
8. In the video that we saw, how many SNOWFLAKEs did we see.. 25
9. Title of the song “I will wait for you”
10. We saw 2 people waiting and looking at a light shining down, what were they sitting on.. stairs
11. What am I waiting for?  Waiting for Jesus
12. What does advent means?  the coming of …. Something

CHRISTMAS TREE                   

Divide the children into small groups and ask them to read the Christmas story as recorded in Luke 2: 1-20.

Seek answers to the questions:

When was Jesus born (v 2)?

Why did Joseph travel to Bethlehem?(v4)

Where did Mary lay her baby? (v7)

What did the angels say to the shepherds? (v 10)

What was special about Jesus? (v 11)

Why were people amazed at what he shepherd's said ?(v 18)

What do you think Mary treasured? (v 19)

Why were the shepherds glorifying and praising God (v 19).

Ask the children to write on a blue bauble something that they have learned about Jesus' birth, that they want to remember this Christmas. If they wish they can copy a verse onto the bauble, or write something on their own. They can then go and hang their bauble on the tree.

Examples of baubles completed are below:

 

 

MEMORY VERSE  - Pass the Parcel

PASS THE PARCEL

Prep: A present with a word from the memory verse in every layer of paper & a sweet

Memory Verse: “They will call him Immanuel which means God with us" Matthew chapter 1 verse 23.”

We ran out of time for the following:

Reflection – Christmas Worship & Calendar drawing               

we were going to how the video below, the kids were then going to think  about how much God Loves them, not just at Christmas but all year. They drew a picture on some coloured card with a 2014 calendar on it.